TOWN WATCH
NEWARK – Mayor Ras Baraka has until June 12 to sign into law an ordinance designed to crack down on illegal dirt bike and All Terrain Vehicles use in public streets – if he has not signed already.
The Municipal Council passed on May 24 an addition to the city code’s Chapter 20 on “Peace and Good Order” regarding the use of dirt bikes, ATVs and motorized bicycles and scooters. Ordinance 23-0609 had been introduced by Council President/Central Ward Councilman LaMonica McIver May 4.
The ordinance bans the operation of said unlicensed vehicles unless they are being transported or conveyed by another legally registered vehicle.
Petroleum filling station operators can only fuel the said vehicles if they have been brought there by another legally registered vehicle. The station employee or manager may call the Newark Police Division should he or she is suspicious of the said vehicle being brought in. There is a $3,000 fine for fueling the illegal vehicles and a provision that an employee or station owner may also report of any threats by the illegal vehicle’s owner.
Those storing the said vehicles may welcome them so long as they arrive on a legal vehicle’s flatbed or tow hook.
The new law allows NPD and other law enforcement officers to confiscate the said illegal vehicles should they be unable to identify the owner and/or find registration and insurance liability documentation and/or be involved in an accident causing major injury. Confiscated vehicles, in the measure’s language, “will be destroyed.”
The Chapter 20 addition intends to curb the use of such vehicles by “The 12 O’Clock Boys” – packs of mostly youths who run dirt bikes and ATVs on public streets. They were so named by a 2011 documentary from Baltimore of similar packs who also conduct stunts – usually without helmets or other safety gear.
IRVINGTON – A federal judge has sentenced a township man and accused gang leader nicknamed “Hellboy” May 25 to 10 years imprisonment for drug trafficking and weapons possession.
U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton, from her Newark bench that Thursday, further sentenced Tyree Thomas, 29, to five years’ supervised release once his prison time is served.
Thomas is accused of possessing PCP and marijuana for distribution from an address each here and in East Orange May 1 – Aug. 21, 2019. Undercover federal agents said that he had sold them the narcotics “on multiple occasions” those four months.
The agents had said that they found quantities of marijuana and PCP plus a 9 mm. Glock 19 and a .380 caliber Grendel P10 with loaded ammunition while executing a search warrant at “a stash house in East Orange.” They said they had found more of the same narcotics in “several other locations.”
Wigenton’s sentence is the result of Thomas having pleaded to nine federal counts lodged against him. Those charges included possessing controlled dangerous substances with intent to distribute, conspiracy thereof, distributing CDS to a minor and “possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.”
Thomas is alleged to be the leader of the East Orange-based “Sheedside Pirus” Bloods set and of being a member of the MOB Pirus in the same city.
EAST ORANGE – A city man had pleaded guilty before a Newark-based federal judge May 23 for a 2019 shooting of a man he said was an FBI informant.
Kalil Bryant, 40, pleaded before U.S. Judge John Michael Vazquez that Tuesday to a count each of “retaliating against a victim, witness or an informant” and for being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition.
Bryant was accused of pointing a gun at another man’s abdomen, calling him a “rat” and firing on Aug. 24, 2019. The victim survives after receiving medical treatment.
Bryant, on Aug. 19, 2019, had sent text messages to a mutual acquaintance to “Tell (him) he gonna Die soon because he is a rat,” “Prepare to bury Hm soon” and “Get your black dress ready.” The victim had previously cooperated with the FBI, providing them information that led to the conviction of one of Bryant’s associates.
A jury, after an eight day trial, had found Bryant guilty on Feb. 17 of transmitting threats over interstate commerce and retaliation.
Bryant faces a maximum 10 years in prison on the ammunition possession and 30 for the retaliation of the informant. The retaliation count he was found guilty of carried a five year maximum sentence plus up to 30 years for being found guilty of retaliation. Judge Vazquez is to sentence Bryant Oct. 10.
U.S. Attorney-New Jersey District Attorney Philip Sellinger thanked East Orange Police Chief Phyllis Bindi and the police department for their help in the investigation. The U.S. Marshal’s Office, Jersey City and Metuchen police departments were also thanked.
ORANGE – The City Council, on April 18 had approved a Memorandum of Understanding between city administrators and the three property owners who hold the Orange Memorial Hospital, Ippolito Funeral Home and 184 Matthew St. sites on how to proceed with the overall 9.97 acre property’s redevelopment.
The MOU between the city – who hold $3.5 million of tax liens plus mortgage liens – and property owners Orange Flats and SYMREC, together as Project JV, starts with the latter side paying the city the owed tax liens before proceeding.
Project JV, once that tax liens are paid off, will have 30 days to proceed with presenting redevelopment plans to the Orange Planning Board. There is no mention of the plans going to the Orange Historic Preservation Commission and/or the Orange Zoning Board of Adjustment.
The redevelopment on the properties framed by Henry and Matthew streets and Central and South Essex avenues will be done in three geographic site phases. Site A will be for Block 3601, Lots 1, 3-8, followed by Site B (Block 3601, Lots 2-5) and Site C (Block 3702).
What would be the third attempt to redevelop the closed-since-2004 Orange Memorial Hospital complex now includes the closed Ippolito Funeral Home and 184 Matthew – an amalgam of 14 lots. Most of the hospital’s lots and the buildings on them have been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2017.
Ordinance 186-2023’s first page, however, had described that “The Hospital Redevelopment Site had fallen into substantial disrepair, becoming an attractive nuisance and a risk to public health and safety.” Part of that deterioration was due to the second developer’s internal quarrels that led to neglect.
City Business Administrator Chris Hartwyk, on April 18, said that nine of the buildings can be demolished pending Orange Planning Board approval of applications for Sites A, B and/or C. The statements that meeting leaves which of the National Register of Historic Places buildings will face the wrecking ball.
WEST ORANGE – Township Attorney Richard Trenk and West Orange’s citizens may learn how long or short his days of municipal representation will be numbered at the Township Council’s June 13 meeting.
The council, in a 4-1 split vote May 16, introduced an ordinance that would officially rescind renewing Trenk’s legal services contract into 2026. The contract was passed by Mayor Susan McCartney’s tie-breaking vote on April 18 – only to learn that the mayor here does not have that power.
“I’m disappointed that we’re at this place but I think it’s important that we’re clear that Mr. Trenk doesn’t; have a contract,” said new bill sponsor Councilman William “Bill” Rutherford. “There was a reason why he had not gotten support from this council; there are plenty of reasons why.”
Council President Tammy Williams and Council Members Rutherford, Susan Scarpa and Asmeret Ghebremichael carried the introduction May 16. Councilwoman Michele Casalino dissented.
Trenk’s supposed latest contract was actually two. One was to represent West Orange Dec. 31, 2022-Dec. 31, 2026; the other was for a $175 per hour litigation rate.
Trenk had been Township Attorney since 1998. He had been drawing a $42,000 annual salary from taxpayers.
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD – Columbia High School’s indoor pool, since the South Orange-Maplewood School District Board of Education’s May 25 approval of $34.8 million of building improvements, have made its last laps.
The two-town board, that Thursday night, approved a plan that includes replacing Columbia’s roof and HVAC system and renovate its library/media center and science laboratories.
The work, which will start this summer, includes replacing the four-lane pool, its locker rooms and related equipment with “a student commons area.” The student commons’ installation will end a decade of deciding whether to renovate and/or expand or replace the pool.
The pool, which opened with the CHS core building in 1927, was part of freshmen’s physical education requirement. It used to hold high school meets until the NJSIAA decided that its four lanes fell short of the optimum eight lanes.
A 2013 study found that it would cost $8.1 million to revamp the pool and $5.9 million to repurpose it. The then SOMSD school board voted against renovation and closed it in 2016.
CHS’s swimming teams have since used the Maplewood Community Pool as their home natatorium. Some parents in 2016, citing an equity issue, said that it costs a family $500 in annual MCP membership and $50 per swimming lesson.
An SOMSD board member was penalized after using confidential floor plans of the student commons during is July 2022 presentation.
BLOOMFIELD – Both Maplewood and South Orange have separately renewed their animal control contracts with Bloomfield as of July 1.
The Maplewood Township Committee approved a new one-year 2023-24 interlocal services contract on May 23. The Village of South Orange Trustee likewise followed at about the same time for the same year.
Maplewood and South Orange first engaged Bloomfield Animal Control for respective six-month contracts on or around Jan. 1. They were among the 16 New Jersey municipalities that had scrambled to replace Madison’s St. Hubert’s who let its service contracts expire on Dec. 31.
South Orange and Maplewood join Glen Ridge, Nutley and Caldwell as Bloomfield’s clients. Bloomfield is best known for its Mayor John A. Bukowski Memorial Animal Shelter.
MONTCLAIR – State Superior Court Judge Stephen Petrillo intends to issue on June 2 a 58-page memo to the “Rao vs. Township of Montclair and Timothy Stafford” parties on what evidence and materials will and will not be admissible in the upcoming whistleblower civil trial.
Petrillo is setting boundary lines and his May 26 pretrial session rulings in writing to Montclair CFO Padmaja Rao, the Township, former Town Manager Timothy Stafford and their lawyers.
The judge, for example, had not granted on May 26 Township lawyers’ motion to outrightly dismiss Pao’s suit. Petrillo also dismissed Montclair’s attorneys’ May 22 request to seal the hearing’s transcript and bar the public from the courtroom gallery.
Montclair, as represented by Derrick Freijomil of outside firm Riker Danzig, had asked for the transcript sealing and barring public attendance on grounds that the materials include personnel records. Nancy Erika Smith, representing Rao, countered that the records had been in the public arena for seven months since her client’s Oct. 24 complaint filing.
Petrillo ruled, in Friday’s three-hour hearing in Newark’s Historic Courthouse, out only direct personnel records from the pool of documented evidence. The judge added that he will rule out any materials that are brought up without prior communication and/or not pertaining to the case.
The judge, for instance, wants a copy of Assistant Township Attorney Gina DeVito’s Aug. 22 memo that Township Council Members, who each get a $10,000 annual stipend, are not eligible for the full-time state health benefits program. That memo was simultaneously sent to Rao, Stafford, council members and the Montclair Law Department.
Petrillo admitted into evidence Montclair Affirmative Action Officer Bruce Morgan’s Aug. 29 internal report on the Town Manager’s Office working conditions. Morgan, in his report, confirmed Rao’s complaint of workplace harassment and retaliation. DeVito, on Sept. 28, replied to Morgan that “Montclair had rejected” his findings.
BELLEVILLE – There are some Open Public Request Act filers here who have been getting recent impressions that their queries are not really welcome at Town Hall or the Belleville Public Schools Administration Building.
BPS Superintendent Richard Tomko and Administrator Michael Paladino, for example, entered an itemized list of OPRA filings into public record at the April 24 Board of Education Trustees meeting.
The list is a roster of OPRA filing requests by filer, month, staff and board secretary hours spent processing said requests. The list, which dates back to July 2022, also itemizes “Associated Legal Fees” and “Overall Costs.”
The April 24 list entering the school board’s record was the same day where a citizen claimed that had said his OPRA request to the Township Clerk’s office had been denied.
Former BOE Trustee and frequent Township Council witness Michael Sheldon said that Township officials had denied his request for who in the Belleville government in which department receives stipends. Sheldon’s requests included the stipend amounts, dates issued and for what purpose.
The denial message Sheldon received cited two Gov. James E. McGreevey-era executive orders and a state statute for not releasing “sensitive” information. The township government said that they will not release stipend recipients’ personnel salaries or addresses – information that Sheldon had not requested.
Those whose OPRA requests are denied may appeal to the New Jersey Government Records Council.
NUTLEY – The township’s commissioners have locked the door on future smoke shops and barred it against any possible vape shops in Nutley.
The Board of Commissioners passed Ordinance 3514 May 16, which bans any new smoke shops in Nutley. Although it is not in the two-page amendment to the township code, it is believed that the three existing smoke shops are grandfathered in until they go out of business.
The ordinance also bans any vape shops from opening in Nutley. “Vape shops” are those who sell electronic smoking devices and their related parts. The latter passage covers vape pens, e-cigarettes, e-cigars, e-pipes and e-hookahs.
Nutley’s elders agree with the U.S. Surgeon General’s 2016 report’s summation that electronic smoking devices “pose a significant health risk, especially to youth and young adults.” They also cited an FDA 2018 report that use of said devices by high schoolers had increased by 78 percent from 2017 and a 48 percent increase by junior high schoolers.
The ordinance follows a “No-Cannabis-Based Business” stand Nutley’s elders had taken in 2021. Nutley and Orange those towns who have told state officials that they will not welcome any marijuana cultivation, distribution, sales and/or public consumption businesses.
